Hat Monster

I spent this past weekend crocheting a new hat. It’s super-long and textured, and was a bit of a surprise as it was not exactly what I originally intended to make. But I like surprises:) For this hat, used a basic half double crochet stitch, with a few super-easy stitch variations.

I used one my favorite, big hooks, size 11.5 mm (US P-15). Whenever I want to make a really quick hat in under a few hours, this is the hook I turn to. I also picked up a paprika-colored skein of cotton yarn, made by Lion Brand.

The initial steps for a simple hat are the same as making any round. The only thing that varies is the number of initial chain stitches you make. This varies according to your gauge, if using a pattern, but since I don’t really follow patterns, I usually just go with what seems right:

For this hat, make a slip stitch and chain 7 (six or seven chains is what I do for most of my hats).

Connect your first stitch made with your last one with a slip stitch.

Chain 2

To make your initial circle wider, you must do a series of increases in each row. Take a look at this tutorial for help on increasing a round in crochet.

Increase your round until it is a little wider than the top of your head. Once you do that, you can then begin to form the sides of your hat. To do this, simply create basic rows of stitches without increasing (one stitch in each chain). Continue this until you reach the length you like. To finish, I like to crochet two rows of single stitches, then tie off and weave in the ends with an embroidery needle.

While you can create a basic hat with the instructions above, there are two very easy variations to the standard half double crochet stitch that can add some interesting texture to your hat.

Add a nice ribbed effect by making a stitch only in the back loops of the previous row.

You could also create more dramatic texture by crocheting in the post (or body) of the stitches within the previous row.

For more help, check out this great tutorial on the anatomy of a crochet stitch by Stitch Diva Studios.

I did these two variations on my hat, then joined the ribbed rows with a single stitch and went over the rows in the post with the same stitch. When it is not completely covering my face, it makes for a pretty cool-looking hat :) It looks a bit like a crocheted turban, no?